


A Classic Case of Corruption (Steven Universe)

by RheaRoy_Hunter



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24187348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RheaRoy_Hunter/pseuds/RheaRoy_Hunter
Summary: Okay, typical corrupted Steven story.Except it's classic!Steven.
Relationships: Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	A Classic Case of Corruption (Steven Universe)

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to make this a proper story with actual chapters rather than a dump of randomness.

"Rose..." Jasper growled hoarsely, glaring at Steven.

"I'm not Rose," Steven inched closer, holding his hands up in the universal harmless position. "I'm Steven. I just wanna try and heal you." Steven licked his palm and began edging his hand towards Jasper's form.

An amalgamated claw lashed cross Steven's stomach, ripping the cherry-red fabric of his signature star shirt. The half human gasped as what felt to be knifes tore through his skin, doubling over as he held his arms against the newly carved wound.

"STEVEN!" Amethyst screamed in alarm. Steven glanced down at the tear in his shirt before looking back up again at the orange beast. He could hear Peridot groaning with effort as she tried fruitlessly to manipulate the metal that made up the cages embedded within the Kindergarden's walls.

Amethyst attempted to charge towards Jasper, but Steven held out an arm to stop her. 

"Stop."

Jasper chuckled, breathing deeply as she held her left arm, of which large, teal horns hard began sprouting from. Large cyan blemishes had began forming across her skin.

"I see how you do it now Rose," Jasper rasped manically, "You want gems after they're worthless, you wait until after they've lost, because when you're at the bottom, you'll follow anyone. That makes you feel like less of a failure. Hah!" She guiestered behind Steven, and he turned to see Peridot standing there gormlessly. "Just look at this one! You've stripped her of everything! Her limb enhancers, her status, her dignity."

"I still have one of those things."

Jasper ignored her comment, continuing.

"How can you side with Rose Quartz?!" She questioned the green gem. "Why? Why protect this useless shell of a planet?"

"It's not a shell." Peridot said indignantly, "There's so much life, living here. That's what I'm doing - I'm living here! I've been learning new things about myself all the time, like how I can make metal do my bidding!"

A rod of metal fell to the ground with a clank behind her, causing her to visibly jump in surprise. Peridot cleared her throat. "The point being Earth can set you free."

Steven eyed the rapidly spreading corruption travelling across the quartz soldier's torso. Giant spikes had began growing from her shoulder blades and back, even small ones were emerging from her forearms and hands.

"It's getting worse." Steven mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Try not to move!" He called out to Jasper.

"You can't manipulate me, Rose Quartz!"

"I-I'm not manipulating, I'm trying to help!" Steven held out one arm, still keeping the other pressed against his stomach.

" Help...?" Jasper's eye twitched . 

"Help?!" She screamed hysterically, "I've been fighting from the second I broke free of the Earth's crust, because of what you did to my colony! Because of what you did to my planet! Because of what you did to my diamond!"

"Yellow Diamond?" Steven asked in bewilderment.

" Wha...?" Jasper's surprise at Steven's reply quickly diminished as her anger was resparked. "My diamond! Your diamond! Pink Diamond!"

Neither Steven, Amethyst nor Peridot could question this statement further as the corruption on Jasper's form had now completely taken over, turning her into a mindless beast without a conscience of right or wrong.

The corrupted gem lunged at the trio, only for a metal rod to thrust through its chest. The monster exploded into smoke, leaving a kite-shaped gemstone lying in the sand. Steven and Amethyst glanced at Peridot.

"You're welcome." Peridot smirked, crossing her arms across her chest, watching as Amethyst bubbled the newly corrupted gem and sent it away. The purple gem caught sight of the half-human as she looked up from where the bubble had once been.

"Hey, you okay, Steven?" She asked with sincerity, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a smile.

"Yeah." Steven lied, ignoring the sting of his stomach where Jasper had swiped at him. "We should be getting back."

"Agreed."

With that, they made their way to the warp-pad before they warped back to the temple.

\---

After washing himself in the shower in extreme caution of his injuries, Steven now stood in the middle of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist while his upper body still remained bare.

He stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, eyes focused on the pink gemstone embedded within his torso where his navel should have been positioned. A large scratch was visible across the gem's surface, a souvenir of where Jasper had clawed at him when he had tried to heal her.

His focus wondered over the graze across his stomach that ran parallel to the scratch, wincing as he gently brushed his fingertips along the gash's edge, which had already began to heal due to his gem's healing abilities, abyte much slower than to what he was used to.

"I've never been injured this bad before." Steven reminded himself, reaching for a fresh, clean, non-ripped shirt without causing himself too much discomfort. He ran a hand through his dripping curls of hair which resulted in it sticking upwards similar to how his dad's had back when he was younger.

"Steven?" He flinched as a repeated and confident knock met his ears shortly after hearing Pearl's voice address him. "Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He called, "Just drying off."

"Alright, just don't leave your towel on the floor in a heap."

"Okay, I won't."

Steven decided that it was now the time for him to dress himself and he pulled his red shirt over his head. Dressing the rest of himself, Steven gave one last lingering look at his gem before pulling his shirt over his belly properly and exiting the bathroom.

\---

Several days had passed since the unpleasant incident, and Steven would have let his mind forget all about it if it was not for the nightmares that plagued his sleep. He avoided mentioning it to the gems and would brush off any concerns that they had for his health. The boy knew it was wrong to ignore any physical or mental problems he had but Steven didn't deem that information necessary to his guardians as they also had A lot on their plates.

In short, Steven simply acted as though what had occured with Jasper had never happened, wanting to move on from the event as quickly as possible. 

He did not want to think of those-

...weird, inhumane urges he felt within his nightmares.

Steven shook his head violently to clear his head.

"Hey, Steven!" The voice of the loud amethyst-gem broke the boy from his train of thoughts, for which Steven was secretly grateful for. The purple earthling sat on the couch beside him.

"Oh, hi, Amethyst." He replied with much less enthusiasm as the quartz soldier but still cheery nevertheless. "What's up?"

"What's up is that you're ignoring everyone." Amethyst playfully nudged his arm with her elbow. "Is something on your mind?"

"Nothing important." Steven shrugged. The gem raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to question the kid further before deciding against it and said softly,

"Alright, but if you need to talk to someone about what happened in the Beta Kindergarden, I'm here for ya, okay?"

Steven smiled. "Thanks, Amethyst."

"No problem. Now let's go get some fry bits." She grabbed a hold of his wrist, practically dragging the poor boy from the couch to the door, who winced at the pain that the action caused to his half-healed wound.

"Come on! Let's go! They'll be closing soon!"

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming!"

The pair dashed out the door, running along the beach and up towards the board-walk. They soon skidded to a halt in front of Frybo's.

"Give us the bits!" Amethyst demanded, banging her fists against the counter. Steven, however, still exhausted from the run, was doubled over, trying to inhale oxygen faster than his lungs would allow.

"Whoa, dude. Are you okay?" The gem had stopped hitting the counter-top, looking at her fourteen-year-old companion in concern.

"Y-yeah." Steven panted, straightening while using the counter to steady himself. "I'm- I'm fine."

"Like I believe that."

"It's true!" He gasped before doubling over again, to Amethyst's worry.

"That's it." She scooped up the boy in a bridal carry. "I'm taking you home."

She began running away from Frybo's. Steven peered sadly around the quartz purple arm.

"B-but what about the bits?"

"We can get them another time, when you're not about to pass out."

"But I-" Steven took in a deep inhale, "I'm okay now."

"Just because you say that, doesn't mean it's true." Amethyst huffed, more serious than cheerful now. Steven pouted then stifled a yawn. "Steven, you're exhausted, you're not going anywhere but to your bed."

Steven groaned, not having the effort or energy to argue. Amethyst used her foot to open the door to Steven's house and went through it.

"Steven, Amethyst!" A voice that sounded similar to a bird's squark greeted them; a pale, beak-nosed gem was looming over their short heights. "Where have you-?"

Pearl caught sight of the half-gem resting within Amethyst's arms and her overall aura changed from angry to panicked.

"What happened to Steven?!"

"I'm okay, Pearl, really." Steven said weakly, "Just a little tired, that's all."

He allowed himself to drop out of the purple gem's grasp and onto his feet, legs shaky. "See? I'm just fi-!?"

His knees buckled as his legs gave way before he could even utter a single yelp; Steven dropped to the floor like a stone.

"Steven!"

The male hybrid groaned into the floorboards, not bothering to try and lift his face away from the worn-down wood. Pearl instantly picked him up with gentle hands and began cradling him.

"I'm fine." Steven attempted to reassure the gems with no success.

"No, you're not, Steven."

"And you're bleeding, dude."

"What?!" Steven looked down his torso, and sure enough, a dark stain was starting to form across the star of his shirt, spreading along the yellow fabric rapidly.


End file.
